Judge calls for tourists to sit driving test

A Chinese tourist who narrowly avoided a head-on collision when he drove 100m on the wrong side of the road near Queenstown has been fined and disqualified from driving.

A Chinese driver whose rental car collided with another vehicle near Queenstown was a "classic case" of why tourists should sit a driving test, a judge says.

Judge Kevin Phillips made the comments in the Queenstown District Court yesterday while sentencing Shanghai man Yichen Sun, 27, who admitted a charge of dangerous driving relating to two incidents near Queenstown earlier this month.

Speaking through an interpreter, Judge Phillips told Sun his driving was "nothing short of atrocious".

"You were all over the road for no reason, you were drifting around corners, cutting corners and crossing the centre line.

"It's a classic case of why people need to have examinations done before taking control of powerful rental cars on New Zealand roads."

Sun was convicted and fined $600, with court costs of $130, and disqualified from driving for eight months.

He had to pay the fines immediately if he wanted to board his flight to China today.

Prosecuting Sergeant Ian Collin said Sun was driving a rental vehicle in Gorge Rd on November 6 when a member of the public saw him overtake a rubbish truck, which was indicating to turn right.

The complainant told police Sun was driving erratically and "braking for no apparent reason".

Later that afternoon, Sun was driving on the Crown Range road between Wanaka and Queenstown when he crossed the centre line by about 2m and collided with an oncoming car, causing moderate damage to both vehicles but no injuries.

Duty solicitor Tim Cadogan said Sun accepted the Crown Range road was "beyond his skill level".